Ocala man accused of stealing cars

Friday

Sheriff’s deputies arrested an Ocala resident on Thursday and accused him of stealing multiple vehicles that had been left unlocked in southeast Ocala and Silver Springs Shores.

Angel Luis Almeida, 18, who had a juvenile custody warrant for absconding supervision, saw Detective Wady Sedan at the McDonald’s at 7562 SE Maricamp Road and ran, according to a sheriff's report. Sedan chased Almeida through the parking lot and, with assistance from Deputy Daniel Luiken, apprehended the suspect.

Almeida was transported to a Sheriff’s Office district office, where he was interviewed by Sedan. There, Almeida tells the detective that he stole three vehicles — a Dodge Caravan, a Mazda pickup and a Ford Fusion — from three separate locations in Silver Springs Shores. Deputies said the vehicles were reported missing from Hemlock Road, Dogwood Drive and Bahia Circle Trail on Nov. 1, 2 and 7.

Deputies recovered all three vehicles; two of them — the Dodge Caravan and the Ford Fusion — were at a vacant property on Pine Place. Inside the Ford Fusion, deputies found several items, including a purse, that they believe were connected to five vehicle burglaries on Southeast 35th Avenue. The burglaries were reported on Nov. 2.

Inside the Dodge Caravan, deputies found CDs, clothing and a shoe that were identified by the victim as hers.

Deputies said with the vehicle thefts, the doors were unlocked and the keys were left inside. The burglarized vehicles also were left unlocked.

Almeida told Sedan he works alone while car hopping and only steals vehicles that have keys inside, according to the report. He said if he doesn’t find the keys, then he takes cash or guns. Almeida said if he doesn’t find any money in wallets he finds, he throws them out. He also tells the detective that he has a bad memory stemming from drug use.

Almeida faces multiple charges to include vehicle burglary and grand theft of a motor vehicle.

Deputies are asking residents to lock their vehicle doors and to not leave valuables inside.